School Consultants

30 Aug 2021 |

National Education Policy: Early Childhood Care & Education

The National Education Policy 2020 (NEP) has laid importance on the universalisation of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) with a 2030 target to ensure that all students entering Grade 1 are school ready. The pedagogical and curricular structure of school education has been changed to reflect the importance. In the ages of 3 to 6 years, pre-schools will provide basic education to children, to prepare them for formal education from Grade 1 onwards.

The policy document gives importance to play based, activity based and inquiry based curriculum. It also advocates the overall aim of ‘ECCE to focus on attaining optimal outcomes in the domains of: physical and motor development, cognitive development, socio-emotional-ethical development, cultural/artistic development, and the development of communication and early language, literacy, and numeracy’. The emphasis on developmentally appropriate requirements of this age group builds on ECCE policy 2013.

NCERT has been tasked with the creation of a “National Curricular and Pedagogical Framework for Early Childhood Care and Education” (NCPF ECCE) for children up to the age of 8. Preparatory Classes have been discussed as bridge programs between anganwadis and primary schools. The policy plans training & certificate programmes from ECCE of all anganwadi and primary school workers mainly through digital means. All these are directed at universal access to early childhood education.

The National Education Policy 2020 has acknowledged the need for strong investments in ECCE but so far there is no mention of the role private players can fulfil in meeting its goal for 2030. The policy also does not discuss regulation of private pre-schools. A roadmap for its implementation is lacking with no discussions on budget allotments and its inclusion in the Right to Education.

Based on the declared outcomes and approaches to meeting them, one would expect that the framework for ECCE as created by the NCERT will be along the lines of modern international curriculum and any pre-school meeting international best practices will also meet the requirements of the framework.

The entire NEP 2020 policy document can be downloaded here.

16 Aug 2021 |

Setting up a preschool: Approach and philosophies

Setting up a preschool is not just about creating a building and building a brand, it is also about the approach and philosophy offered by the preschool. We have discussed at a high level, decisions that an entrepreneur must consider while setting up a new preschool. We often find entrepreneurs want to shape the atmosphere of the school and take a lot more responsibility in the running of the school. In this post, we present you with options that suit your needs. We also urge you to develop a deeper understanding of early education.

When selecting an approach, you need to consider:

children’s interests and capabilities
their own interests, skills, capabilities and philosophies
the curriculum
evidence of children’s learning
school and community contexts

A guiding framework for this often comes from one’s early educational philosophy. While it is easy to select a philosophy for a preschool, in practice it is a mix of philosophies that best suits the needs of most target audiences. A quick note on some educational philosophies and pedagogies that is recommended reading before setting up a preschool. We find that often when you have been through some of these, you are more articulate about your vision.

Below are some of the links that can kickstart your journey to set up a new preschool.

Kindergarten Method

The word kindergarten comes from the German language. Kinder means children and garten means garden. This philosophy of education rests on four basic ideas: free self-expression, creativity, social participation and motor expression. The curriculum consisted chiefly of three types of activities: (1) playing with the “gifts,” or toys, and engaging in other occupations designed to familiarize children with inanimate things, (2) playing games and singing songs for the purpose not only of exercising the limbs and voice but also of instilling a spirit of humanity and nature, and (3) gardening and caring for animals in order to induce sympathy for plants and animals. All this was to be systematic activity.

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/why-is-kindergarten-called-kindergarten

https://www.britannica.com/topic/education/Froebel-and-the-kindergarten-movement

Montessori Education

Montessori is a method of education that is based on self-directed activity, hands-on learning and collaborative play. In Montessori classrooms, children make creative choices in their learning, while the classroom and the highly trained teacher offer age-appropriate activities to guide the process. Children work in groups and individually to discover and explore the knowledge of the world and to develop their maximum potential.

https://montessori-nw.org/about-montessori-education

Play-Based Philosophy — Playing to Learn/Learning to Play

Play is one of the most important ways in which young children gain essential knowledge and skills. Opportunities and environments that promote play, exploration and hands-on learning are at the core of effective pre-primary programs. During a typical preschool day, there will be structured and unstructured periods, enabling children to learn at their own rate.

https://www.unicef.org/sites/default/files/2018-12/UNICEF-Lego-Foundation-Learning-through-Play.pdf

Reggio Emilia Approach

The Reggio Emilia Approach® is an educational philosophy based on the image of a child with strong potential for development and a subject with rights, who learns through the hundred languages belonging to all human beings and grows in relations with others.

https://www.reggiochildren.it/en/reggio-emilia-approach/

Waldorf Education Philosophy

Waldorf schools offer a developmentally appropriate, experiential, and academically-rigorous approach to education. They integrate the arts in all academic disciplines for children from preschool through twelfth grade to enhance and enrich learning. Waldorf education aims to inspire life-long learning in all students and to enable them to fully develop their unique capacities.

https://www.waldorfeducation.org/waldorf-education

Bank Street

The Bank Street approach, known as the developmental-interaction approach, recognizes that all individuals learn best when they are actively engaged with materials, ideas, and people, and that authentic growth requires diverse and nurturing opportunities for ongoing social, emotional, and cognitive development.

Teachers and leaders are viewed as facilitators of learning, it is their role to meet students “where they are” to help them develop and realize their unique potential. By combining a deep understanding of human development and educational theory with a disciplined approach to observation and reflection, Bank Street educators provide students with meaningful learning opportunities best suited for their learning and growth.

https://school.bankstreet.edu

If the philosophy is selected before the design and creation of the preschool infrastructure, many changes can be made to the design. This would allow for better usage of space and specific requirements of the selected method can be implemented. Based on the selected philosophy, the choice of learning aids, furniture and equipment in the preschool would also vary.

Over the years, Newton Schools has provided services as project consultants in developing the school concept, marketing strategy, financial projections etc. Our engagements often begin at the concept stage when the school is just an idea. We have also worked in already initiated projects as academic/management consultants defining the curriculum, the teacher training, and recruitments. Our parent company, Newton Services, provides design and build services for school infrastructure.

How to start a new school | Start a school in India

To start a new school, there are several steps that need to be followed. There are laws to be considered, investments to be planned, and decisions to be made. In this post, we will try to summarise the steps.

What type of school do you want to start?

The answer will probably depend on your investment capacity and opportunities available to you. A school is usually seen as a building on a piece of land. Both of these require substantial investments. If you want to start a Nursery, Kindergarten, Montessori or Play school, you would need at least a 300 to 500 sq meter plot of land with a building on it. To start a primary school till Grade V, you might need 2000 sq meters of land. For a secondary school till Grade X, that could go up to 4000 sq meters and at least 6000 sq meters for a senior secondary school till Grade XII. The larger the piece of land, the more will be the investment in developing the land and constructing facilities on it. Therefore, the first step is to consider the investment capacity and look at the land that is available. If you are looking at leasing a property instead of buying / constructing it, then too the investment in maintaining the lease will decide on the size and type of school you plan to start.

Feasibility Study and Detailed Project Report

Before you embark on the project, it is best to have experienced professionals do a feasibility study along with a Detailed Project Report (DPR). Sometimes, feasibility studies done by us for our clients show that a particular piece of land is not viable, because the cost is too high or the location is not suitable. The study will help avoid an incorrect investment in such scenarios.

The DPR would include financial planning for the entire project. It would lay out the investments required over a period of time, the fees to be collected, the breakeven point and the return on investments over time. The DPR can also be given to banks or financial institutions to secure loans and investments.

Setup the entity that will own or operate the school

As the next step, you will need to start an entity to operate the school. For a preschool, the entity could just be a business entity like a partnership or private limited firm. For a larger school, the state government and affiliation bodies will define the type of entity that is mandatorily required. In India, private schools can be started by a not-for-profit Society, Trust or Company. Most chartered accountants will be able to guide on how to set up the entity required.

Setup the school infrastructure

The entity setup can prepare the infrastructure required for starting the school. The infrastructure, such as the building, must meet certain standards like the National Building Code and also meet the requirements of the affiliation board such as CBSE, CISCE, IGCSE or IB. When planning the infrastructure, the following costs needs to be budgeted for:

External development of the land, such as boundary wall, pathways, parking, drainage etc
Construction of the building, including services as electrical, air-conditioning, plumbing etc
Interiors including furniture, IT equipment and other tools
Outdoor facilities such as play areas, sports fields etc

The cost and requirements will all vary based on the size of the land, type of school being created and the location where the school is to be set up. It is always beneficial to engage the services of experienced consultants and architects to go through this stage.

Recruitment & Training

As the infrastructure nears completion, key positions of the school such as the Principal, Co-ordinators, Admin staff and teachers need to be recruited. There are recruitment consultants who can support this. Platforms such as newspapers and online recruitment sites can be explored to advertise the open positions.

Training all the staff members to define the culture and process to be followed is essential. Experienced trainers and consultants bring in the initial set of expertise required to guide the new school in the right direction.

Marketing & Admissions

In the competitive world of today, private schools need to be seen as a premium offering, therefore branding and marketing form an essential component of the school launch plan. The school’s name, logo, website and prospectus needs to be created. Publicity about the new school in neighbourhood areas that the school will cater to needs to be done. Interested parents will want to visit the school and talk to key people before applying for admissions. Fee collection and admission processes need to be clearly defined.

School operations

When a new school starts, there are many operations related processes that need to be defined. From pickup and drop of students, meal offerings in the school, services for uniforms and books, everything needs to be planned in advance. The day-to-day requirements of teachers and the various activities that students will engage in, including trips and excursions needs to be planned. This requires the admin department to actively engage with all team members of the school, and for the school leadership to give clear direction to the operations.

Affiliation and Recognition

Most boards, such as the International Baccalaureate or Central Board of Secondary Examinations require that an operating school apply for affiliation. After the application process, these boards usually conduct an inspection of the school to see that it meets their criteria in terms of students safety, spaces for learning and facilities offered. They will also check that the State and Central govt norms are fulfilled and all documents are in place. Affiliation is no longer a one time process, it needs to be renewed every few years. We always recommend that any new school being started today meets the requirements of the affiliation body in all aspects.

Other Considerations

There are several other considerations when you want to start a new school. What will be the curriculum and activities that students will engage in? Will the interior spaces be designed to support the curriculum delivery and activities? How will the students fare in the final examinations and what is the best approach to take to achieve those results? How can the school remain financially profitable while continuously investing in human resources and infrastructure?

As consultants, Newton Schools can be your partner when you start a new school, in guiding you in each step. We have completed several greenfield school projects and many of our schools are the top schools in every aspect.

We would be glad to start a conversation with you, do contact us.

10 Aug 2021 |

How to get CBSE affiliation

We receive many enquiries about how to get CBSE affiliation. This post is too clear some of the doubts that you might have. The process of getting affiliated can be summarised as follows:

Go through the CBSE Byelaws and related circulars
Understand the land and physical infrastructure requirements
Complete the building and infrastructure requirements as per the guidelines
Start the school and have the School Principal apply for affiliation online
After submission of application with fees and documents, an inspection of the school will be held
Once all the processes are complete, affiliation will be granted.

How to apply for CBSE affiliation

CBSE has a manual that one should read before apply for affiliation. The manual can be downloaded chapter wise from this link: https://saras.cbse.gov.in/SARAS/Home/Information
To start the online application process, you can visit this link: https://saras.cbse.gov.in/cbse_aff/form/Instruction.aspx

The form that needs to be filled in the above link is quite exhaustive. Therefore, CBSE provides a sample filled form that guides you on how to fill the form. This sample form can be downloaded from here but as the link keeps changing, we have uploaded a copy of the guide here: CBSE_sample_form

When to apply for CBSE affiliation

Application needs to be submitted online only. It cannot be submitted at any time, there is a specific time when applications can be submitted. As per circular dated 07 Jan 2021, the timelines for each year are:

For fresh affiliation and upgradation of affiliation
- There are 3 windows each year: (1) From 01 March till 31 March (2) From 01 June till 30 June (3) From 01 September till 30 Sept
For extension of existing affiliation
- From 01 March till 31 May
For additional subjects, section increase, change of school name or change in Society / Trust / Company name
- Open throughout the year
For special provisions under chapter 15 of CBSE Affiliation Bylaws 2018
- Open throughout the year

What is the cost of CBSE Affiliation?

CBSE charges as affiliation fee from schools that want to apply for affiliation. The fee varies for school applying for affiliation in India and abroad. There is also an option to pay a higher fee for on-demand affiliation. The CBSE affiliation fees can be seen here: https://saras.cbse.gov.in/cbse_aff/form/Instruction.aspx

If you would like to download a copy of the fees as on 01 Aug 2021, you can download a PDF version here: CBSE affliation fees

These charges may change over time.

Please Note:

We would like to clarify that we DO NOT provide any services for CBSE affiliation. We work with entrepreneurs and anyone interested in making new schools to design and setup the school in such a way that it meets or exceeds all CBSE norms, thereby making it easy for the school to get affiliation. As we gain knowledge, we share it back to the community in the form of these posts.

9 Aug 2021 |

Create a preschool that delivers what parents want

How do you create a preschool that delivers what parents want? This question lead us to look into several aspects of creating a preschool.

Walking around any residential area in any city in India, one is able to spot at least half a dozen pre-schools or billboards advertising preschools. How well are they able to deliver what parents need? And how well do they understand their roles as the bridge to primary education? And most importantly, how well are they able to deliver on the promises they make.

What do parents want?

What parents want out of preschools is very different from what they want in a regular school. Their focus is more on child safety, hygiene, social interaction and play.

Take care of my children
My child should feel safe
My child should want to go to school
Children should be engaged
Children should be engaged with several different activities
Learn how to appreciate everything
Children should want to learn
Children should be excited about their day and school
Children should be happy to tell us about their day in school
Want a safe environment to grow

Encourage my child to be curious, to learn
Build the confidence of my children
Instil curiosity and want to learn
To be able to ask questions
To be able to think independently
My child should be able to express himself well
My child should make friends
Children should learn how to interact with others
My child should learn how to play with others
Help children develop emotionally and socially
Help my child express himself

Fun, clean safe
Welcoming and an open mindset to make children comfortable to foster creativity!
Making children learn and have a POV on the alphabet

Safety first (sending my child to someone with trust), teachers should be friendly with us and have to be guardian to the kids
Basic entertainment without screens like dance, playing, little bit learning
Fun and social interaction

Over the years we have seen multiple versions of such statements researching and understanding parents looking for a preschool to enroll their children. And, of course we have spent several years creating schools that promise these and deliver them. It is a layered understanding of creating a right balance between target parent requirements and the needs of a 21st century education.

At the outset parents will look for safety of their child and the convenience of the school location. From that starting point the rest of the statements become differentiating factors in determining the right school for their children. This differentiation between schools is often layered with how the schools speak about themselves, what the parents see and what they hear from other parents about the school.

Some of these observations are conscious, others subconscious.

Are the spaces safely designed? Are they welcoming, are they engaging? Is there diversity?
Who is in the school? Do the teachers and the head of the school inspire confidence in their ability to take care of my child?
How does the preschool acknowledge my child is special? Is the school geared to give adequate attention and care to my child

What makes the preschool better suited to the needs of each child?

It is not possible to address all individual needs of parents as often they can be contradictory.
E.g. Some parents will want a digital element in the school others will want nothing to do with it

Importance of research

When we partner with clients, our projects often involve local area research. We delve into requirements such as these and identify the higher level needs of parents. Only by understanding where the requirements of the parents are coming from can one seek to fulfil them effectively. And as a result serve the needs of the larger target group. Often there are instances where parents need help in managing the behaviour of their children and this help comes from the environment set up in the school.

New entrepreneurs often identify one set of parents and build a school around their needs. Sometimes it is the needs they missed when they sought a preschool for their children. In other instances it is the perceptions of their peer group. It runs the risk of being a limited view. When preschool-teachers set up the school, they may have a great academic plan but will miss out on the administrative or operational efficiencies. Each of these runs the risk of resulting in a siloed view of the needs of the market.

We have created such an appropriate environment across diverse geographies. We are quickly able to understand the root solution that will address diverse needs of parents. We are also able to define the linkages between these solutions and the school brand, vision and mission.

Our approach is to help the entrepreneur articulate their vision of the school and map out how best it suits the market requirements. We then draw inspirations from developments in the sector across the world. For our projects we need regular interactions with architects, designers, academic counsellors, school founders, teachers, parents and vendors. This means that we have a continuously updated list of vendors and school needs. We also have a historical perspective on what worked and what didn’t. That allows us to deliver insights quickly.

A school where a child is safe, happy, socially comfortable and learning/developing according to their age. The ability to deliver this, to deliver the high level requirements of the target parents and to pull the triggers will enable those parents to see value in the school promise. That will result in the success of the school.

Over the years, Newton Schools has provided services as project consultants in developing the school concept, marketing strategy and the financial projections. Such engagements begin at the concept stage when the school is an idea and perhaps even the land has not been acquired. We have also worked in already initiated projects as academic/management consultants defining the curriculum, the teacher training and recruitments. And in other projects as management consultants building a bridge between school owners and everyday operations of schools.

Post to follow: Approaches to early years education.